Adil Boulbina emerged as Algeria’s hero after scoring deep into extra time to hand the North Africans a narrow win over DR Congo, sealing their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Introduced from the bench, Boulbina made the difference when it mattered most, ending a tense and evenly balanced contest.
The winning move started on the left side, where fellow substitute Ramiz Zerrouki released Boulbina into space. The winger showed pace to beat a tiring Aaron Wan-Bissaka, cut inside with confidence, and fired a powerful right-footed shot.
The strike flew over goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and dropped in off the underside of the crossbar, leaving no chance and sending Algerian fans into celebration. It proved to be the only goal of the match.
The defeat was a cruel one for DR Congo, who matched Algeria for long spells and looked set to push the game into a penalty shootout.
Despite their strong effort in Rabat, the Congolese were once again denied a first-ever victory over Algeria, a record that continues to haunt them.
Clear opportunities were rare as both sides defended well and played cautiously. Algeria’s solid backline stood firm once more, with Luca Zidane keeping his fourth clean sheet of the tournament.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane was again in the stands, watching his son deliver another assured performance between the posts.
With their defence proving hard to break, the 2019 Afcon champions will head into the quarter-finals full of belief.
They now face a tough challenge against a free-scoring Nigeria side when the two teams meet in Marrakesh on Saturday.
